The invention relates to a sealing member of a toner container, said sealing member having a film with a central strip to be torn off. The sealing member is associated with a wiping element so as to clean the torn central strip.
Sealing member for toner container, such as toner container of toner cartridges of copier, laser printer, printer, etc. comprising a sealing film with a central strip intended to be torn off. When the sealing film closes an opening of a toner container, the face of the central strip directed towards the inner side of the container is provided with toner particles. When tearing said strip, particles present on the strip can be liberated in the atmosphere, whereby causing a risk of soiling the hands or clothing of the operator.
For solving this problem, it has already been proposed to provide on the toner container a wiping element intended to be in contact with the torn strip during its removal from the sealing film. (see UK 2 286 062). However this solution has the drawback that two distinct operations are required when recycling a toner container, as the sealing member and the wiping element have to be replaced. It means also that the risk exist that the wiping element is not correctly placed, although the sealing member is correctly placed, and inversely. Furthermore, as the wiping element is distant from the sealing film, the wiping element does not form an appropriate guiding means for the pulling means and for the torn strip.
Sealing films have already been provided with foam layers, such as a foam layer with a central slot.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,559 and UK 2 289 238 (DE KESEL) disclose a sealing film provided with a foam layer, whereby when tearing the central strip, the pulling means and thereafter the central strip contact a part of the foam. According to said US patent, said part of the foam contacting the torn central strip is advantageously provided with a layer with a low friction coefficient. As the foam layer is pressed between a surface of the container and a surface of an element supporting a roller, a wiping or cleaning of the central strip is obtained. Said wiping or cleaning is not optimum for example along the edges of the torn central strip.
A similar foam element for wiping the central strip is also taught in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2001/0033909.
The invention relates to sealing members ensuring an excellent cleaning or wiping of the torn strip, even along its longitudinal edges, so as to prevent substantially any soils risks.
The invention relates to a sealing member for sealing an opening of a surface of a toner container for laser printers, copy machines and fax machines, said sealing member comprising:
a sealing film comprising a first portion with a first face directed towards the surface for sealing the opening of the toner container and a second face opposite to said first face, said first portion comprising a longitudinal central strip intended to be torn off, said central strip extending from a first end up to a second end and having a substantially predetermined width,
a wiping element for wiping the portion of the first face of the sealing film corresponding to the central strip when contacting the torn central strip with the wiping element,
a pulling member bound to the first end of the central strip, said pulling member being intended to extend before the tearing off of the central strip at least partly above the second face of the sealing film,
in which the wiping element is attached a component selected from the group consisting of the sealing film, a foam layer attached to the sealing film, a non foam support attached to the sealing film, and combinations thereof, by at least a connecting means selected from the group consisting of:
combinations of at least a first welding and a second welding;
one connecting element attached to the component by a first welding and a second welding,
two distinct connecting elements, a first of which is attached to the component by a first welding, while the second is attached to the component by a second welding,
two distinct connecting elements, a first of which is attached to a first component by a first welding, while the second is attached to another component by a second welding, and
combinations thereof,
whereby the first welding and the second welding are distant from each other so as to define there between a passage for the torn central strip.
By using weldings, such as welding lines, it is possible to define very precisely the edges of the passage and to ensure an excellent bond between the wiping element and the sealing film, a foam layer glued on the sealing film, a substantially rigid support attached to the sealing film, etc., whereby preventing the accidental tearing of the wiping element during the tearing of the central strip.
Welding lines or points are also very appropriate for so as to ensure a higher compression of the wiping element along its portions having to contact the longitudinal edges of the torn central strip and/or for ensuring a transversal stretching of the wiping element with respect to the sealing film.
The invention relates also to a toner container, the opening of which is sealed with a film of the invention, as well as to a toner cartridge provided with such a toner container.
The invention relates also to a sealing member for sealing an opening of a surface of a toner container for laser printers, copy machines and fax machines, said sealing member comprising:
a sealing film with a first face intended to be directed towards the surface for sealing the opening of the toner container and a second face opposite to said first face, said film comprising a longitudinal central strip intended to be torn off, said central strip extending from a first end up to a second end and having a substantially predetermined width,
a wiping element for wiping the portion of the first face of the sealing film corresponding to the central strip when contacting the torn central strip with the wiping element, the wiping element having two lateral side portions and a central portion extending between said lateral portions,
a pulling member bound to the first end of the central strip, said pulling member being intended to extend before the tearing off of the central strip at least partly above the second face of the sealing film,
in which the wiping element is attached to a component selected from the group consisting of the sealing film, a foam layer attached to the sealing film, a non foam support attached to the sealing film, and combinations thereof, by at least one connecting means ensuring or adapted for ensuring when the sealing film seals the opening of the surface of the container, a pressure between the lateral portions of the wiping element and the surface with the sealed opening, while defining a passage between said lateral portions of the wiping element, and between the central portion of the wiping element and the component.
The invention further relates to a toner container provided with such a sealing member or provided with a connecting means ensuring a pressure between the lateral portions of the wiping element and the surface with the sealed opening.
In the present specification, wiping and cleaning are used for designating the removal of toner particles present on the central strip, when the central strip is torn out of the sealing film.
The invention relates to a sealing member for sealing an opening of a surface of a toner container for laser printers, copy machines and fax machines, said sealing member comprising:
a sealing film comprising a first portion with a first face directed towards the surface for sealing the opening of the toner container and a second face opposite to said first face, said scaling film comprising a longitudinal central strip intended to be torn off, said central strip extending from a first end up to a second end and having a substantially predetermined width,
a wiping element for wiping the portion of the first face of the sealing film corresponding to the central strip when contacting the torn central strip with the wiping element,
a pulling member bound to the first end of the central strip, said pulling member being intended to extend before the tearing off of the central strip at least partly above the second face of the sealing film.
According to a first general embodiment of the invention, the wiping element is attached to a component selected from the group consisting of the sealing film, a foam layer attached to the sealing film, a non foam support attached to the sealing film, and combinations thereof, by at least a connecting means selected from the group consisting of one connecting element attached to the component by a first welding and a second welding, two distinct connecting elements, a first of which is attached to the component by a first welding, while the second is attached to the component by a second welding, and two distinct connecting elements, a first of which is attached to a first component by a first welding, while the second is attached to another component by a second welding,
whereby the first welding and the second welding are distant from each other so as to define there between a passage for the torn central strip.
Although the welding can be made by using an intermediate material, the wiping element has advantageously a first portion and a second portion which are welded to the sealing film so as to define between said portion a passage with a width at least substantially equal to the width of the central strip.
Preferably, the sealing member is arranged for or is provided with a means adapted for creating at least a relative transverse tension (i.e. a tension perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the central strip) between the component, preferably the sealing film, and the wiping element when the sealing film seals the opening of the toner container.
According to an advantageous detail of an embodiment, the wiping element is attached to the component, preferably the sealing film, at least by means of two welding lines, said welding lines forming guiding means for the torn central strip during its tearing. Said welding lines are straight welding lines or welding lines with curved or inclined portions. Such welding lines ensures a good cleaning of the longitudinal edges of the torn central strip.
The first and second weldings are selected from the group consisting of hot welding (preferably under pressure, for example for the welding of a layer of the wiping element with a layer of the sealing film, the temperature of the welding is preferably higher than the softening point of a layer of the wiping element and of a layer of the sealing film, preferably higher than the melting point of said layers), cold welding (welding made with no or low heating), wave welding such as ultra sound welding, reactive welding (for example the sealing film and the wiping element have surfaces in contact which can react together so as to make chemical bond, such as silicon bond, so as to cross link said two surfaces (possibly, if necessary an intermediate element or composition can be placed between the surfaces to be welded together, so as to add some reactants or catalysts for the reaction), solvent welding (for example by placing a solvent or a solvent mixture suitable for dissolving at least partly one or more components or polymers of the sealing film and of the wiping element (the polymers of the wiping element and of the sealing film can then mix together), combinations of these welding techniques. Pressure is preferably exerted on the surface to be welded together during the welding operation. In order to increase the welding of the surface together, it is possible to submit the surfaces to be welded to one or more pretreatments, such as cleaning or washing steps (for removing possible dust, oils, etc.), brushing steps, etc.
For example, the wiping element is made at least partly of a material selected from the group consisting of weldable materials, materials provided with at least one weldable layer, solvent soluble materials, materials provided with solvent soluble layer, reacting materials and materials provided with a reactive layer, while the sealing film is at least partly made of weldable materials, materials provided with at least one weldable layer, solvent soluble materials, materials provided with solvent soluble layer, reacting materials and materials provided with a reactive layer. When the wiping element and the sealing film are welded together, the wiping element and the sealing film comprises at least portions or layers which are compatible to each other.
According to an embodiment, the wiping element is made of a compressible material, said wiping element having a first wiping portion adjacent to the first welding and a second wiping portion adjacent to the second welding, whereby said first and second wiping portions are compressed. Preferably, the wiping element comprises a third wiping portion located between the first and second wiping portions, said third wiping portion being less compressed with respect to the first and second wiping portions. For example, the wiping element comprises a compressible foam layer, said foam layer having a first portion and a second portion welded to the sealing film in a compressed state.
According to a specific embodiment, the sealing film and the wiping element are made of compatible thermoplastic materials, such as polyethylene (low density, medium density, high density, combination thereof), polypropylene, polyurethane, etc. The sealing film and the wiping element are then advantageously welded together.
According to a characteristic of an embodiment, the first face of the sealing film is provided with an adhesive layer for attaching the sealing film on the surface of the container to be sealed, whereby at least the first face of the portions of the film attached by the first welding and the second welding to the wiping element are provided adhesive for attaching said portion on the surface of the container to be sealed. This ensures that when the sealing film seal the opening of the toner container, no lateral or transversal movement of the weldings will occur with respect to the container.
Possible wiping element are foam element, wiper, felt, antistatic layer, friction reducing layer, material releasing friction reduction agent, material releasing antistatic agent, releasing layer, magnetic material and combinations thereof. The layer can be applied on a support, such as a film, a blade, a foam, etc. The support is for example not provided with the appropriate layer at the place where the support is welded to the film.
Advantageously, the sealing film is provided with gluing means for attaching the sealing film on the surface of the container with the opening to be sealed.
According to a possible embodiment, the sealing film is provided with at least one foam element, such as a slotted foam element, said foam element can possibly be a support for the wiping layer. In the latter case, the support is welded to the film at least near the wiping layer.
According to another possible embodiment, the sealing film is provided with at least one foam element, said foam element being provided with gluing means for attaching the sealing member to the surface of the container with the opening to be sealed.
According to a specific embodiment, in which the torn central strip has two substantially parallel longitudinal edges defining there between a width, the first welding and second welding are distant from each other from a distance corresponding to less than 120% of the width of the central strip, preferably to less than about 110% of the width the central strip.
Most preferably, the first welding and second welding are substantially parallel welding lines. Possibly said lines can be inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strip, so that the width of the passage is increased in the pulling direction.
The sealing member can be associated to a means for ensuring at least a transversal stretching of the wiping element, when the sealing film seals the opening of the toner container. For example the wiping element is at least partly elastic and the wiping element is stretched before being welded to the sealing film. Such a stretching is advantageous for ensuring a good wiping of the element on the strip to be torn.
According to a possible embodiment, the first and second weldings are weldings between the sealing film and intermediate elements bound to the wiping elements.
According a second general embodiment of sealing members of the invention, the sealing member comprises:
a sealing film with a first face intended to be directed towards the surface for sealing the opening of the toner container and a second face opposite to said first face, said film comprising a longitudinal central strip intended to be torn off, said central strip extending from a first end up to a second end and having a substantially predetermined width,
a wiping element for wiping the portion of the first face of the sealing film corresponding to the central strip when contacting the torn central strip with the wiping element, the wiping element having two lateral side portions and a central portion extending between said lateral portions,
a pulling member bound to the first end of the central strip, said pulling member being intended to extend before the tearing off of the central strip at least partly above the second face of the sealing film,
in which the wiping element is attached to a component selected from the group consisting of the sealing film, a foam layer attached to the sealing film, a non foam support attached to the sealing film, and combinations thereof, by at least one connecting means for ensuring or adapted for ensuring a pressure between the lateral portions of the wiping element and the component, whereby a passage is defined between said lateral portions of the wiping element, and between the central portion of the wiping element and the component.
Advantageously, the connecting means exerts or is adapted for exerting a pressure between the lateral portions of the wiping element and the component sufficient for forming guiding means for torn central strip during its tearing.
Preferably, the connecting means exerts or is adapted for exerting a pressure between the lateral portions and the component which is greater than the pressure of the central portion of the wiping element and the component.
According to a detail, the connecting means is adapted for preventing the tearing off of the wiping element during the tearing of the central strip.
According to a specific detail of an embodiment, the connecting means is a mechanical means acting at least between the lateral portions of the wiping element and the component.
Advantageously, the sealing member is further provided with at least one support means for facilitating the placement of the sealing member. For example, the sealing member is further provided with at least one cardboard support for facilitating the placement of the sealing member, said cardboard support being attached to the second face of the sealing film.
Advantageously, the wiping or cleaning element is selected from the group consisting of foam element, wiper, felt, antistatic layer, friction reducing layer, material releasing friction reduction agent, material releasing the antistatic agent, releasing layer, magnetic material, fibrous material and combinations thereof. The wiper, foam, etc. can possibly be made of a material of similar nature than the sealing film. The wiper can possibly be a simple film or blade. As wiping or cleaning means, it is advantageous to use material suitable for adsorbing or absorbing toner particles or a material having a higher affinity for the toner particles.
Examples of wiping means or cleaning means (which can have various forms, such as cylinders, rectangular bloc, layer, etc.) are fibrous containing material, cellulosic containing material, wool, glass fibre mat, foam material with open cells, foam material with open cells and outer skin layer, felt, foam material with closed cells, paper layer, paper napkin, foam layer made from polymeric, copolymer material, polyesters, polyurethane, polypropylene, fluoro polymer, polystyrene, etc. and mixtures thereof, elements made from cork, etc, this materials or elements being advantageously filled or charged with one or more additives, such as additives for reducing the friction (such as oils, silicone oils, silicon polymer, Teflon, Teflon powder, fluoropolymers, fluoro containing powder, clay powder, bentonite powder, china clay, mica, graphite, carbon particles, toner particles, fluorine coating or treatment, etc., and mixtures thereof), antistatic additives (such as aminosilane, aluminium oxide, quaternary ammonium compound, quaternary ammonium salts, polyamine, ethoxylated sorbitan ester, glycerol monostearate, quaternized hydrocarbon, stearamidopropyl dimethyl-beta-hydroxyethylammonium nitrate, fatty imidazoline, polyethylene glycol, alkyl sulphonate, alkylamine derivatives, fatty amine derivative, organic phosphate esters, polypropoxy quaternary ammonium chloride, polypropoxy quaternary ammonium acetate, phosphated aliphatic alcohol, laurate ester, surfactants, cationic surfactants, zwitteronic surfactants, carbon black, polyoxyethylene laurate, potassium cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen, polyoxyethylene coco amine, modified amine, monocarboxylic stearic derivative, polyquaternary ammonium salt, complex phosphate ester, phosphoniums, cationic compound, fluorocarbon protectant, organic phosphate esters, PEG-15 tallow polyamine, sorbitan monolaurate, ethoxylatedtetramethyl decynediol, cocodimonium hydrolyzed soy protein, polyacrylic and/or polymethacrylic acid and their derivatives, alcohol phosphate, sulfonated polystyrene, etc., and their mixtures), releasing agents (such as ethylene bis(stearamide), sulfated oil, dioctyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid, microcrystalline waxes, oxidized microcrystalline waxes, ammonium stearate dispersion, ethylcellulose, monoalkyl primary amine, erucamide, hydrogenated tallow amide, oleamide, stearamide, straight aliphatic chain, polymeric ester, high molecular weight polymeric ester, rapeseed oil, non ionic fatty esters, polyethylene glycols, hydrogenated castor oils, paraffinic microcrystalline wax, petroleum wax, emulsifiers, polyethylene, fatty acid esters, stearate, monoacid triglyceride powder, trimyristin, silicone oil, dimethylsiloxane, phosphated mono- and diglycerides, erucamide, glycerol monostearate, dimethyl ammonium ethosulfate, alkyl dimethylethylammoniumetosulfate, stearyldimethylethyl ammonium ethosulfate, hydantoin, polypropylene glycols, silicone emulsion, polyethylene and polyester derivatives, amide waxes, iso-eicosyl alcohol, stearate, silica, ethylene/propylene compounds, polyethylene, crystalline polyethylene, glycerol monostearate, soap, lactic acid salts, vegetable oil, ethoxylated alcohol, phosphate ester, hydrogenated vegetable oil, alcohol phosphate, etc., and their mixtures), magnetic powders, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, etc.
One or more additives can be added to the wiping material or layer, by preparing a solution or suspension containing said additives, by applying said solution or suspension on the wiping element, and by removing the excess of liquid or solvent of the solution or suspension. The application of the suspension or solution can be made by dipping, brushing, painting, rubbing, dabbing, pushing, sucking, vaporising, etc. When using solid particles, the solid particles additives can be added to the wiping material by blowing the particles on the wiping element.
Other techniques can also be used for providing a low friction and/or antistatic and/or anti adherent properties to the wiping elements, Such other techniques are for example gas (fluorine/chlorine/etc.) treatments, vapour deposition, etc.
The sealing film can be made in various material, such as mono layered material, bi layered material, multilayered material, etc. For example the sealing film is a polyethylene film, a polypropylene film, a film comprising a thin foamed layer, the combination of a foam layer with a polypropylene film layer, a combination of one or more polymeric layers with one metal (aluminium) layer. The sealing film has preferably a preferential tearing direction or is provided with means for ensuring a preferential tearing of the central strip. The sealing film has a thickness for example comprised between 25 xcexcm and 500 xcexcm, such as 50 xcexcm, 100 xcexcm, 150 xcexcm, etc. The sealing film can be provided possibly with a coating or a further layer on at least a part of the central strip to be torn off.
The sealing film is advantageously provided with gluing means for attaching the sealing film on the surface of the container with the opening to be sealed. A removable protection sheet could be used for protecting the gluing means or adhesion means before its gluing on the surface. Such a removable protection sheet, such as a siliconized paper, is removed just before the placement of the sealing film.
According to a possible characteristic of the first embodiments, the sealing film is provided with at least one foam element, such as a foam layer with a central slot, longitudinal foam elements such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,559 (the content of which is incorporated to the present specification by reference), transversal foam elements, or a combination thereof.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,559, the sealing film can be provided with at least one foam element, said foam element being provided with gluing means for attaching the sealing member to the surface of the container with the opening to be sealed. For example, the foam element has a width greater than the width of the sealing film, so that when gluing the foam element on the surface of the toner container, the sealing of the opening is made by the sealing film, even if said sealing film is not glued on the toner container.
Such foam element present on the first portion of sealing film acts as a wiping element or cleaning element or element for decreasing the adhesion of toner particles. According to a possible characteristic of the first embodiment, the first portion of the film is provided with a wiping element, whereby when the central strip has been torn off, said central strip has been wiped first by the wiping element of the first portion and then with the wiping element of the second portion of the sealing film.
Advantageously, especially in case the sealing film is not provided with a foam element or a foam layer, the sealing member is further provided with at least one support means for facilitating the placement of the sealing member.
The sealing film is advantageously provided with means for lowering the initial tearing force of the central strip. Such a means is for example disclosed in Re 36920, the content of which is incorporated to the present specification by reference.
According to a possible embodiment, the wiping element extends at least partly outside the sealing film. This is advantageous for not having to modify the quality and structure of existing sealing films.
According to a detail of a specific embodiment, the wiping element is covered at least partly by a connecting element attached to the sealing film by a first welding and by a second welding distant from each other so as to define there between a passage for the torn central strip. Preferably, the connecting element is selected from the group consisting of films weldable to the sealing film, and layers bound to the wiping element and which are weldable to the sealing film.
According to another detail of an embodiment, the wiping element is covered at least partly by a weldable film, said film having a first portion and a second portion which are welded to the sealing film so as to define between said portion a passage with a width at least substantially equal to the predetermined width of the central strip.
The wiping element can be attached to the connecting means by at least one bond selected from the group consisting of welding points, welding lines, welding zones, adhesives, seams, mechanical fixing elements, and combinations thereof.
According to a specific embodiment, the wiping element is covered by a film having two distant portions contacting the sealing film and welded to the sealing film, whereby the sealing film is made of weldable materials, materials provided with at least one weldable layer, solvent soluble materials, materials provided with solvent soluble layer, reacting materials and materials provided with a reactive layer.
The invention relates also to toner containers provided with a sealing member of the invention for sealing the opening for the passage of toner towards the image bearing element, possibly via a magnetic roller or another roller.
According to a specific embodiment of a toner container of the invention, the toner container is provided with a sealing member for sealing the opening, whereby the sealing member comprises:
a sealing film with a first face intended to be directed towards the surface for sealing the opening of the toner container and a second face opposite to said first face, said film comprising a longitudinal central strip intended to be torn off, said central strip extending from a first end up to a second end and having a substantially predetermined width,
a wiping element for wiping the portion of the first face of the sealing film corresponding to the central strip when contacting the torn central strip with the wiping element, the wiping element having two lateral side portions and a central portion extending between said lateral portions,
a pulling member bound to the first end of the central strip, said pulling member being intended to extend before the tearing off of the central strip at least partly above the second face of the sealing film,
in which the wiping element is attached to a component selected from the group consisting of the sealing film, a foam layer attached to the sealing film, a non foam support attached to the sealing film, and combinations thereof, and in which at least one connecting means ensure a pressure between the lateral portions of the wiping element and the component, whereby a passage is defined between said lateral portions of the wiping element, and between the central portion of the wiping element and the component.
The connecting means advantageously exert a pressure between the lateral portions of the wiping element and the component sufficient for forming guiding means for torn central strip during its tearing. Preferably, the connecting means exert a pressure between the lateral portions and the component which is greater than the pressure of the central portion of the wiping element and the component.
The connecting means is for example adapted for preventing the tearing off of the wiping element during the tearing of the central strip.
For example, the connecting means is a mechanical means acting at least on the lateral portions of the wiping element.
The toner container can be associated with a support bearing at least one roller, whereby the sealing member is located between the surface with the opening of the container and the support and whereby the support is provided with a surface adapted with respect to the surface with the opening, so as to ensure a pressure between the lateral portions of the wiping element and the component.
In this specific embodiment of toner container, the connecting means can be an element attached to the container and/or to the support.
Characteristics and details of preferred embodiments will appear from the following description, in which reference is made to the attached drawings.